Two-Minute Drill: Mustangs making noise in Orange Coast League
EDITOR’S NOTE: Corona del Mar, Estancia and Sage Hill’s two-minute drill will appear in Wednesday’s edition.
Costa Mesa won for only the second time this year, yet it finds itself in contention for an Orange Coast League title.
The Mustangs blanked Godinez, 24-0, at Segerstrom High last Thursday, giving them their second victory in league play. Both of Costa Mesa’s wins are via shutout, putting the Mustangs (2-6, 2-1 in league) in third place in league, one game back of rival Estancia (6-2, 3-0) and Saddleback (5-3, 3-0), which share the top spot.
Next for the Mustangs is a home date against Saddleback on Friday at Jim Scott Stadium at 7 p.m. They close out league play on Nov. 6 as the visiting team at Jim Scott Stadium against Calvary Chapel (3-5, 1-2).
If Costa Mesa can win its final two league contests and have Estancia drop one of two, the Mustangs have a shot to split the league crown. The Mustangs are the defending league champions, and the last time they won two straight league crowns was from 2007-08, when they were under-then coach Jeremy Osso.
“I’m not even worried about that,” Costa Mesa Coach Wally Grant said of repeating as the league champion. “My job is to win the next two games, go 4-1, and get us to the [CIF Southern Section Southern Division] playoffs.”
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•Cameron Curet performed in all facets of the game for Costa Mesa.
On offense, the junior caught five passes for 105 yards and a touchdown, and he rushed 15 times for 48 yards.
On defense, Curet, a linebacker intercepted two passes and returned them for a combined 63 yards, and he took the ball away from a receiver.
On special teams, Curet also converted a 20-yard field goal.
“He gives me that kind of effort every Friday night, and then we’re going to be successful more often than not,” Grant said.
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•Eric Carrasco’s debut as the starting quarterback for Costa Mesa turned out memorable for the sophomore.
Carrasco started in the place of Sammy Swanson, who tore his anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee in a 28-3 loss to Estancia in the Battle for the Bell rivalry game on Oct. 17, ending Swanson’s junior season. In one game, Carrasco almost surpassed Swanson’s passing numbers from the first seven games, impressive when you consider the Mustangs played without three starting members of the left side of the line, left tackle Francisco Hernandez (coach’s decision), left guard Hadley Figueroa (pulled groin) and tight end Austin Sheffner (concussion).
Carrasco completed nine of 14 passes for 124 yards and a touchdown. Swanson finished the season 10 of 29 passing for 139 yards and one touchdown.
Carrasco could’ve had a second touchdown pass, but the receiver fumbled the ball before crossing the goal line early in the third quarter. His only touchdown was a 34-yard hookup with Curet in the second quarter.
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NEWPORT HARBOR
Newport Harbor High has made history in its last three Sunset Leagues, for all the wrong reasons.
The Sailors have surrendered 158 points in league, the most during a three-game stretch in the program’s 84-year history. The latest team to pour it on Newport Harbor was Edison, which won, 48-7, at Huntington Beach High last week.
Injuries have affected the Sailors, as well as having a handful of players go both ways and bad tackling. They are fortunate to be 1-2 in league and tied for third place in league with Fountain Valley and Huntington Beach. The Oilers are the one team the Sailors outlasted, 52-48, in league on Oct. 10. Since then, Los Alamitos has walloped Newport Harbor, 62-27, followed by Edison’s rout of the Sailors.
Edison and Los Alamitos share first place at 3-0, and the next three teams are two games back with two games to go.
The rest of the way, Newport Harbor Coach Jeff Brinkley said the Sailors are in must-win situations if they expect to earn the league’s third guaranteed berth into the CIF Southern Section West Valley Division playoffs. The Sailors are at home against Marina (0-8, 0-3 in league) on Friday at 7 p.m., and they play Fountain Valley (5-3, 1-2) at Huntington Beach High on Nov. 7.
If his team doesn’t win out, Newport Harbor will most likely miss the playoffs for only the seventh time in Brinkley’s 29 years in charge of the Sailors. Missing the postseason after advancing to the CIF Southern Section Southwest Division final last year would be a major disappointment.
The West Valley Division does have two at-large entries, but to be considered for one, a team must have a .500 overall record or better. The Sailors are 3-5 overall.
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•Dating back to last season, the Sailors have allowed 240 points to their last five Sunset League opponents, four of those matchups coming in league play and one in the CIF Southern Section Southwest Division finale. The only triumph during that span for Newport Harbor was this year’s 52-48 win against Huntington Beach in the league opener.
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•The Sailors gave up big plays to Edison, a 44-yard kickoff return, a 56-yard touchdown pass, a 69-yard punt return, a 35-yard touchdown pass, a 34-yard touchdown pass, and a 54-yard touchdown run.
The Chargers also produced touchdowns on three fourth-down situations, one on a fourth-and-one run from the nine, the second on a fourth-and-goal run from the two, and the third on a fourth-and-eight pass from the 34.
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•Newport Harbor quarterback Cole Norris shares the No. 7 spot for career touchdown passes (67) in Orange County history.
The Northern Arizona-bound senior tied the mark set by Saddleback Valley Christian’s Brendan Chambers from 2005-07 when Norris completed a six-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Keaton Cablay in the third quarter against Edison.
Despite the accomplishment, Norris finished with season-lows in passing yards (156) and completions (12) last week, and he threw two interceptions for the first time in a game this year. Edison took advantage of each turnover by scoring a touchdown.